Photo by Tom Willard All kinds of variations are possible, like this cottage for which white icing and cinnamon sticks simulate a half-timbered Tudor look for the walls, with shredded wheat for a thatched roof.

Craft Corner: Making enchanted houses

By ANNE WILLARD

As a child, I was particularly fascinated by an illustration in a fairy-tale book of the witch’s house in Hansel and Gretel. Overlooking the dark, cautionary aspects of the tale, I found the idea of this house, walled with gingerbread and decorated with nuts, candies, cookies and all manner of good things to eat, the essence of enchantment.

The basic fascination long outlasted my reading of fairy tales, and in my early teens, having become interested in cooking, I decided that I would try to create (on a small scale) such a magical cottage myself. As I recall, my very first attempt fell down, but I persisted, and over the years developed some engineering techniques that can be used, with variations, to create gingerbread houses to suit anyone’s dreams.

click for story

Annual Winter Solstice Concert at ChurcHouse

LONG EDDY, NY—The 14th Annual Candlelight Winter Solstice Concert Celebration will be held at the ChurcHouse atop Gould’s Mountain near Long Eddy on Friday evening, December 22, at 7:30 p.m. The concert celebration is free of charge, a gift to the community at this holiday season, and has become a greatly-loved tradition in the area.

click for story

Santa Claus is comin’ to town

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY—On Saturday, December 16, Santa Claus will once again be making a tour of towns in southern Sullivan County on his 50-foot lighted and musical sleigh, courtesy of the Eldred Preserve.

click for story

Other stories in this issue:

• Cookbook features local and historical photos
• Free movie at the Callicoon Theater
• A newspaper history of the Hawk’s Nest
• Holiday Events
• Liberty’s ‘Murders of 1940’ resounds with mystery and fun
• Special holiday Salon Session at NACL
• ‘Nutcracker’ comes to life at Delaware Valley